Downtown Hilo Improvements Continue Through HHF’s Hilo Preservation Grant Program
Several additional preservation projects have been awarded funding from Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation's Hilo Preservation Grant Program. The growing list will help achieve the overall goal of improving the appearance and longevity of Hilo’s historic waterfront and downtown area. Each project illustrates how historic preservation can be utilized as an effective mechanism for enhancing the town’s unique sense of place and supporting improved societal relationships. Beatrice Lau Building, 114-116-118 Kamehameha Avenue (c. 1904) Grant Amount: $15,750 Project completed October 1, 2020 Built in 1904, the Beatrice Lau Building has survived both the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis. It offers retail and office spaces along the scenic Hilo Bayfront. It was owned previously by its namesake, Beatrice Lau, and the Hiromi Yamanaka family. Through this grant, the rusted, leaking corrugated metal roof was replaced with a comparable material that retards the effects of sulfur dioxide, a volcanic compound that causes metal corrosion. Hurricane clips were also added to the roof to prevent damage from severe weather. This project preserves a historic building in a high-traffic section of Hilo. Hilo Plaza Building, 180 Kino‘ole Street (c. 1967) Project Status: Open This commercial retail and office building is home to Hilo’s first elevator installation. The current property owner envisions a return of mom-and-pop-store retail to the area and office space for kama‘āina businesses. Grant funds will be used to repair and repaint the exterior and common areas of the building. Kalākaua Park, 136 Kalakaua Street (c. 1877) Grant Amount: $20,000 Project Status: completed June 1, 2021 For over a century, Kalākaua Park has been Hilo’s Town Square. The sundial donated to the people of Ka Lani Kāwika Kalākaua (King David [...]